Aside from clear skin, full hair and strong nails, consuming the right vitamins can also help to maintain and protect our eye health. Antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin can even protect our eyes from blue light exposure – which is important when most of us are spending hours staring at our phones and computer screen. But which vitamins actually help to support healthy vision?
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Here are three of the best vitamins to take for improving eye health.
Lutein
Lutein is a carotenoid, a type of antioxidant that supports the health of the eye retina and macula, which is the part of your eye responsible for high-resolution, colour vision. Lutein is a superhero when it comes to protecting your vision as it’s one of the only dietary nutrients that is selectively deposited into parts of your eye. Once deposited, it forms a protective layer that acts as a natural protection against blue light exposure from phone screens, computers, LED lights and sunlight. It can be found naturally in foods such as leafy green vegetables, eggs and sweetcorn.
Zeaxanthin
Think of zeaxanthin as lutein’s BFF. The two are often paired together since they’re both carotenoids that work together in the eye to protect against blue light and are delivered directly to the eyes’ macula. Zeaxanthin is similar to lutein in that the human body doesn’t naturally produce the nutrient on its own, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough through your daily diet or supplementation. You can up your daily intake of zeaxanthin by eating cooked kale and cooked spinach, as well as other green or yellow vegetables.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
We all know that taking fish oil has amazing benefits for your skin, but did you know that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for eye and brain health too? Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and salmon are the best natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, but if you’re not a fan of fish you can also find it in chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts.
Supplements
Think you might struggle to fit all of these eye-friendly nutrients into your daily diet? Us too. You can make life easier with a supplement like Mānuka Health Vision Shield. It’s formulated with plenty of essential antioxidants and nutrients to support eye health. It provides targeted care with FloraGLO® Lutein and OPTISHARP® Zeaxanthin, plus vital nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids. Two capsules of Vision Shield provide the same amount of lutein and zeaxanthin as five cups of cooked broccoli, five cups of sweetcorn, three cups of raw spinach or 40 eggs.
Find out more about Mānuka Health Vision Shield here.
This medicine may not be right for you. Read the warnings before purchase www.manukahealth.co.nz/en-au/dietary-supplements. If symptoms persist, talk to your healthcare professional.
Follow the directions for use.
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How do you take care of your eye health? Do you take any daily supplements?
I feel that I’ve been neglecting my eyes recently. I should take care of it more cautiously.
I used to take fish oil supplements, perhaps I should again
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